What Do I Actually Need to Pack for Disney World With Little Kids?

Alright, let’s talk about what has to be one of the most researched questions on the internet when planning a Disney vacation with little kids:

What in the world do I need to pack to make my life easier?!

To be honest, before our trips I have watched ENDLESS YouTube videos, read multiple blogs, gone through Reddit posts, and probably spent way too many hours researching what other parents recommend bringing to Walt Disney World.

Some of it has been extremely helpful. Some of it we’ve never needed. And some of it made me wonder how much stuff I’m realistically supposed to carry around a theme park all day. So let me start by saying this:

I am not an expert.

I’m just a mom who has traveled to Disney with a little kid, done a ridiculous amount of research, tried different things, and figured out what has actually been useful for our family. And now we’re about to change the game completely.

We welcomed our second little boy in September, which means our next Disney trip will be our first time doing Disney with two kids. So there’s a very good chance I’ll be coming back to update this blog afterward and saying, “Okay guys… here’s what I learned.”

But for now, these are the things that have made traveling, and especially Disney, easier for us.

First: Travel With Them While They’re Little

Let’s Talk About the Most Important Thing: SNACKS

Snacks. Snacks. SNACKS.

Pack them.

Especially for the plane.

I tried one of those cute, fancy snack containers you see all over social media. You know the ones with all the little compartments that make everything look perfectly organized?

Very cute. Very Pinterest. Didn’t hold enough food, and that was a lesson for us. You know what works just fine?

Zip-top bags.

They’re cheap. They’re lightweight. They barely take up any room when they’re empty, and I can portion out different snacks without carrying around another bulky container. Sometimes simple wins.

I like having several snack options available because you never know what your child is actually going to want once you’re on that airplane.

And snacks aren’t just for the flight. Having something readily available in the parks can be a lifesaver when your child suddenly decides they’re starving and you’re nowhere near the restaurant you planned to visit.

Here’s another little secret: you don’t have to pack all those snacks in your luggage.

Bring what you need for the plane, then once you arrive, you can DoorDash snacks to your hotel or stop at a store and pick some up. It can save luggage space AND some money.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE buying snacks in the parks. I usually have a list of the Disney snacks I want to try before we even leave home.

But it’s nice not having to buy something every single time someone gets hungry.

And let’s be honest, toddlers are picky. The snack you were SO excited to buy them might not be the snack they actually want.

Our Travel Goodie Bag Tradition

This is probably one of my favorite things we do before a trip.

I make our son a little travel goodie bag.

I fill it with small, inexpensive things he hasn’t played with before:

Small toys
Animal figures
Crayons
Travel size coloring books
Stickers or activities
Other little surprises I think he’ll enjoy

The important part for me is that most of it is new to him.

We usually give him his goodie bag the night before we leave, and he LOVES it. It’s become part of the excitement of going on vacation. But here’s the secret…

Those aren’t just fun surprises.

That’s tomorrow’s airplane entertainment.

That little bag of toys and activities can provide a surprising amount of entertainment during the flight. He gets something exciting before vacation, and Mom gets a bag full of things to pull out when I hear the words every parent loves on an airplane:

“I’m bored.”

Everybody wins.

Wipes. All the Wipes.

There are two things you will almost always find in my bag:

Sanitizing wipes and baby wipes.

Airplane tray table?

Sanitizing wipe.

Sticky hands?

Baby wipe.

Restaurant table?

Wipe.

Mystery substance on my child?

Definitely a wipe.

Even when we’re completely done with diapers, I’m pretty sure baby wipes will continue traveling with us forever.

They take up very little room, and we use them constantly.

Let’s Talk About Car Seats

Don’t Forget a Lightweight Travel Crib

Another thing that has been really helpful for us is a foldable travel crib.

We got one for Jayce when he was an infant, and we got another one for the new baby.

It is very lightweight compared to other pack-and-play options, which makes a huge difference when you’re already traveling with kids, luggage, strollers, car seats, and everything else that comes with a family trip.

Having a familiar place for your baby to sleep can make traveling feel a little easier for everyone.

A Good Stroller Can Make Your Disney Trip

We Don’t Usually Leave the Parks for Nap Time

This is something that will be different for every family.

For us, we typically don’t leave the park just for nap time.

Instead, our son naps in the stroller.

Because of that, having a stroller that reclines nearly flat was really important to us. It gave him a comfortable place to sleep while we continued enjoying the park.

And he had absolutely no problem sleeping in it.

Having a stroller where he could comfortably lay back and nap allowed us to slow things down without having to pack everything up, leave the park, travel back to the hotel, nap, and then travel all the way back again.

That worked really well for our family.

Your child might need the quiet hotel room and a normal nap routine, and that’s completely okay.

Remember, I’m sharing what has worked for us, not telling you there’s only one way to do Disney.

I will say there is one thing I don’t particularly love about our stroller: the storage.

I ended up buying extra storage attachments and a stroller organizer from Amazon to give us more room, especially for our park days.

It’s not a dealbreaker for me, but it’s definitely something I would want another parent to know before buying one.

Which Brings Me to… The Sound Machine

Don’t Forget About the Florida Heat

There are a few more things that almost always make it into our park setup:

Sunscreen, fans, cooling towels, and insulated water bottles.

For the stroller, I have two fans that attach directly to it. We also bring two handheld misting fans.

Those have been SO nice to have during hot park days.

We also pack cooling towels and insulated water bottles for each of us.

Florida heat is no joke, and when we’re spending an entire day outside with a little one, anything that helps keep everyone more comfortable is worth bringing.

And We’re Just Getting Started…

These are some of the bigger things that have made traveling to Disney with a little one easier for us, but my packing list definitely doesn’t end here.

There are all the little things too—the items that don’t seem important until you’re standing in the middle of Magic Kingdom wishing you had one.

And now that we’re going to be traveling with two little boys instead of one, I’m sure our list is about to change again.

We may even be upgrading to a double stroller, which is what I’ve been spending a LOT of time researching lately.

We’re going to be visiting the parks for the holidays, and we are so excited!

But traveling with a toddler AND a baby is going to be a completely new experience for us.

That’s one of the reasons I want to keep this blog realistic.

I’m not going to pretend we’ve figured everything out.

We’re learning as we go.

I’ll share what works.

I’ll tell you when something doesn’t.

And after our first Disney trip as a family of four, I’ll come back and let you know which of these things still made the cut… and what new things we discovered along the way.

Because if I can save another mom even a little bit of the time I’ve spent watching YouTube videos, reading blogs, scrolling through Reddit, and wondering whether I REALLY need another thing from Amazon…

I’ll consider that a win.

– Jisselly McGregor

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Printable Disney With Little Kids Packing Checklist